Figured toy



Feb. 14, 193$. p R PRICE 2,147,215

FIGURED TOY Filed July 18; 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 P. R. PRICE FIGURED TOYFeb. 14, 1939,

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 18, 1936 F. R. PRICE FIGURED TOY Feb. 14,1939.

Filed July 18, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 P, R. PRICE Feb. 14-, 1939.

F IGURED TOY Filed July 18, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Feb. 14, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanical figured toys, the primary objectbeing to provide a mechanical walking doll equipped with means foroperating the leg members thereof to cause the leg members to move in astride, simulating the ordinary walking stride of a human being.

An important object of the invention is to provide an operatingmechanism for figured toys, which will not only operate the leg membersthereof to cause the toy to be moved over a supporting surface, but onewhich will maintain the body portion of a toy in perfect balance.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism ofthis character which will insure the body portion operating in a truevertical line at all times, eliminating side wobbling, common to otherwalking figured toys.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby movementwill be imparted to the head and arms of the figure as well as the legmembers thereof, lending animation to the toy.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein described, may be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a figured toyconstructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the body portion of thetoy, and taken at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the body portion of thetoy illustrating the opposite side of the operating mechanism.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a view taken on line l-l of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view through the lower portions of theleg members and foot pieces, illustrating the action of the wheelscarried thereby, during the operation of the leg members.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the construction of thevarious bars and levers as disconnected from one another.

Figure 10 is a sectional view illustrating the power shaft andeccentrics at the ends thereof.

Figure 11 is a transverse sectional view through the body portion, takendirectly above the spring motor.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device comprises a motor frameembodying substantially wide plates 5, held in spaced relation with eachother by means of the spacer 6 secured between the upper ends of theplates 5, as clearly shown by Figure 1 of the drawings.

The lower ends of the plates 5 are held spaced apart by means of thebolt 1. Extending forwardly and rearwardly from the plates 5 anddisposed at points intermediate the ends thereof, are arms 8 and 9respectively, the arms 8 being connected by the bolt Ill, while the arms9 are connected by the bolt ll. Sleeves 12 are positioned on the bolts10 and H, and are of a length to contact with the arms to hold the armsin proper spaced relation with respect to each other.

The spring motor which is indicated by the reference character 13 ismounted between the plates 5, and includes the winding shaft is mountedin bar openings formed in the plates 5, one end of the spring of themotor being secured to the shaft 14, while the opposite end thereof issecured to the bolt II. has its upper end connected with the spacer 6,while the lower end connects with the spring at a point adjacent to thebolt II.

This brace arm I 5 is provided with openings to receive the bolts 16,which secure the body por- 5 tion I! to the frame, the body portion I!being of a construction to simulate the human body or body of an animal.

The motor is provided with the usual gear [8 that meshes with the pinion19 mounted on the shaft 20, which is mounted in bearing openings formednear the lower ends of the plates 5 so that rotary movement of thespring motor will impart rotary movement to the shaft 20. Eccentricsincluding discs 21 are mounted on the outer ends of the shaft 20, theeccentrics being offset with respect to each other for purposes to behereinafter more fully described.

At each side of the body portion is a leg memher, and since these legmembers are identical, r

the construction of the leg member at only one side of the body portionwill be described in detail. Each leg member embodies a bar 22 formedwith an enlarged end 23 having an opening of a diameter to accommodatethe disc 21 associated A curved brace arm 15 r therewith. Directly belowthe enlarged end 23 is an elongated opening 24 that accommodates thebolt 25 that acts as a guide for the bar 22, the bar 22 being mountedfor sliding movement with respect to the bolt 25.

The reference character 26 indicates the feet of the toy which as shown,are substantially wide to provide a substantial support for the toy toinsure the toy being held in perfect balance while in operation. Securedto each foot is a bar 21 that extends upwardly therefrom, the bar beingdisposed directly over the opening 28 of the foot. The bar 22 haspivotal connection with the bar 21, and due to the fact that the upperend of the bar 22 is eccentrically mounted, it will be seen that witheach rotary movement of the disc 2|, the foot is raised and lowered.

Associated with the bar 22 is a bar 29, which slides with respect to thebar 21, the bar 29 being of a length to extend through the opening 28during one operation of the bar 29, to extend the wheel 36, carried atthe lower end thereof, beyond the foot to support one side of the bodyas the foot rolls forwardly on the wheel. Elongated openings 3| areformed in the bar 29 and accommodate the bolts 32 and 33, the bolt 32providing the pivot between the bars 22 and 21. The upper end of the bar29 is slightly offset as clearly shown by Figure 9 of the drawings, thebar 29 being provided with an elongated opening 34 extending to a pointnear the upper end of the bar 29.

Extending inwardly from the bar 29, and secured to the bar near theelongated opening 34 thereof, is a plate 35, the upper edge of the plateacting as a stop to be engaged by the shaft 36 eccentrically mounted onthe eccentric 31, which in turn is secured to the disc 2|. Secured tothe shaft 36 is a crank arm 38 that extends into the elongated opening34 to rock the upper end of the bar 29 as the crank arm rotates.

Pivotally mounted on the plates 5 are arms 39 that have offset lower endportions 46, there being provided a screw 4| extended into the offsetlower end portions 46 of the arm 39, the screw 4| operating in theelongated opening 34 of the bar 39. As shown, the arm 39 on the side ofthe body portion adjacent to the winding shaft I4, is curved as at 39',providing a clearance to allow the arm to move the desired distance, toaccomplish its purpose. Extending laterally from the arm 39 is a pin 42which engages the downwardly extended portion 43 of the member 44, whichsupports the arm of the figure. A spring 45 is mounted on the member 44and acts to urge the member in one direction, while the pin 42 acts tomove the member 44 in the opposite direction, thereby imparting amovement to the member 44 simulating the swinging of the arms of thehuman body.

The spacer 6 is formed with an opening to accommodate the pin 46 thatextends downwardly from the inner surface of the head 41 of the toy,thereby providing a pivotal support for the head. Secured within thehead 41 is a laterally extended metallic loop 48 into which the upperend of the pivoted bar 49 extends, the bar 49 being formed with anelongated opening 56 near the lower end thereof, which opening receivesthe pin 42 to impart a swinging movement to the bar 49, resulting in aswinging movement being imparted to the head 41.

The spring motor is of the usual and well known construction, andincludes gears 5| and 52, the gear 52 being in mesh with the pinion 53mounted on the governor shaft 54. The governor, indicated by thereference character 55, is adapted to be engaged by the extension 56 ofthe control arm 51, that is connected with the arm 58 which in turn ispivotally mounted on one of the plates 5. The lower end of the controlarm which is indicated by the reference character 59, extends forwardly,where it passes into the opening 60 in the body portion there beingprovided a button 6| on the lower end of the control arm to be moved bythe operator of the toy to stop or release the motor.

It will of course be understood that the winding shaft I4 is of a lengthto extend through the side of the body portion H, where a winding keymay be placed thereon to wind the spring of the motor. The bars formingthe leg members of the figure may be covered in any suitable way tosimulate the legs of a doll or animal which the toy represents.

It is contemplated to construct the arms, which are indicated by thereference character 62, and which are secured to the members 44, offlexible material such as rubber, the hands, which are indicated at 63being so constructed that they may be positioned over the handle of adoll carriage, or similar rolling device.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Assuming that the motor has been wound and the control arm has beenoperated to release 2) the motor. The shaft 20 rotates, operating thediscs 2|, moving the bars 22 and 29 vertically, the bars 22 lifting thefeet 26. With the vertical movement of the bars 29, the upper ends ofthe bars 29 are rocked, swinging the lower ends of the bars forwardlyand rearwardly.

Since the eccentrics 31 are secured to the discs 2|, the crank arms 38carried thereby, are also rotated. As the crank arms 38 rotate, theshafts 36 thereof contact with the upper edges of the plates 35, movingthe bars 29 downwardly and extending the bars 29 so that the wheels 36thereof are below the lower surfaces of the feet 26. This movementoccurs when the bars 22 are in their elevated positions or in positionsto raise the feet from the surface on which they have been resting.

It might be further stated that the eccentrics and bars of the legmembers are arranged with such respect to each other that when one footis elevated, a bar of the elevated foot will be extended, the wheel ofthe extended bar supporting the weight at one side of the body portion,while the bar 29 of the leg member at the opposite side of the bodyportion is elevated and the foot at this side of the body portion restsflat on the supporting surface until the foot at the opposite side ofthe body portion moves downwardly contacting the surface.

This mechanism produces a movement of the leg members simulating theordinary walking stride of a human being, eliminating any side wobble,to the end that the body portion is maintained in perfect balance at alltimes.

I claim:

1. In a figured toy, a. body portion, a shaft in the body portion, legmembers mounted on the body portion, each of said leg members includinga pair of bars movable vertically with respect to each other, a footpiece secured to one of the bars of each leg member, the other bars ofthe leg members having rollers on the lower ends thereof and extendingthrough the foot pieces, means for moving the bars of each pair wherebyone bar is extended beyond the other bar and the weight of the bodyportion is alternately shifted from the rollers to the foot pieces, andmeans for alternately swinging the leg members forwardly when therollers are resting on the floor surface, the entire body beingalternately carried by the roller of one leg and the foot piece of theother imparting a walking movement to the toy.

2. In a figured toy, a body portion, leg members pivotally mounted onthe body portion, each leg member comprising a pair of bars movablelongitudinally with respect to each other, a foot piece secured to oneof the bars of each leg member, a roller secured to the other bar ofeach leg member, means within the body portion for operating the barswhereby the bar of each leg member carrying the roller is extendedthrough the foot piece carried by the adjacent bar, whereby the bodyportion is alternately completely supported on the roller of one legmember and foot piece of the other leg member, and means forreciprocating the leg members imparting a walking movement to the toy.

3. In a figured toy, a body portion, a shaft extending transverselythrough the body portion, leg members mounted for vertical slidingmovement with respect to each other, arranged on the body portion,eccentrics on the shaft and connected with the upper ends of the legmembers and adapted to swing the leg members alternately forwardly, footmembers to which the leg members are connected, vertically movable barsmounted on the leg members and extending vertically through the footmembers, rollers on the lower ends of the vertically movable bars andresting on the surface over which the figured toy is moving, and meanson the ends of the shaft for moving the vertically movable barslongitudinally of the leg members and extending the rollers below thefoot members while the leg members are being swung forwardly the entirebody being alternately carried by the roller of one leg and the footpiece of the other, whereby a walking movement is imparted to the toy.

PEARL RACHEL PRICE.

